Apple is expanding its manufacturing footprint in India, planning to assemble all models of the upcoming iPhone 17 series, including the high-end Pro variants, in the country from the outset.
This marks the first time Apple will produce every new iPhone variant in India, as the company aims to reduce reliance on China and mitigate US tariff risks.
Sources reveal that Apple has distributed iPhone 17 production across five local factories, two of which have recently started operations. While the company will produce all models domestically, it expects fewer units of the Pro models compared to standard versions.
The expansion centres on Tata Group’s new plant at Hosur, Tamil Nadu, and Foxconn’s $2.8 billion hub near Bengaluru airport.
Tata will manage nearly half of India’s iPhone output within two years. Foxconn has already started rolling out iPhone 17 units from its second-largest iPhone facility outside China, operating alongside its Chennai plant.
Earlier this year, production faced challenges when several Chinese engineers left, prompting Apple and its partners to bring in experts from Taiwan and other locations to maintain smooth operations.
Apple’s investment in India is already yielding results. Between April and July 2025, iPhones worth $7.5 billion were exported from India, compared to $17 billion in the entire previous fiscal year.
In the financial year ending March, Apple assembled iPhones worth $22 billion in India, marking a 60% increase from the year before.
The company plans to scale production to 60 million iPhones in 2025, up from around 35–40 million in 2024–25. CEO Tim Cook recently noted that a majority of iPhones sold in the US in June 2025 were made in India.
Analysts say Apple’s shift strengthens India’s position as a global manufacturing hub. With S&P Global estimating nearly 76 million iPhone units sold in the US in 2024, Apple will need to double Indian shipments or reallocate devices from other markets to meet US demand.
Apple’s presence in India’s smartphone market is also rising. Shipments grew 21.5% in the first half of 2025 to 5.9 million units, with the iPhone 16 as the top-shipped model. In the June quarter, Apple’s shipments rose nearly 20% year-on-year, giving it a 7.5% market share.
Industry experts say the launch of the Bengaluru factory and the broader manufacturing shift represent a major milestone in Apple’s global diversification strategy.
Also Read: India Surpasses China In Smartphone Exports To The US
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